Submarine life-saving and observation tender.



` S; PONTIERE. SUBMARINB LIFE SAVING AND OBSERVATION TENDER.

APPLIOATION FILED 1330.519101 y Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

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iiEiTEn sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

STANLEY PONTIERE, OF OCEAN CITY, NEW JERSEY.

SUBMARINE LIFE-SAVING AND OBSERVATION TENDER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STANLEY PONTIERE, a citizen of the United States, residing at in the county of Cape May and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Submarine Life-Saving and Observation Tenders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to submarine vessels and more particularly to means for egress and ingress thereto while submerged.

It has for an object the provision of a tender which may be carried within a submarine vessel, and means for releasing and returning the tender, and controlling its movement away from and toward the vessel.

A further important object is to provide means of communication between a person in the .tender and those o'n the vessel, whereby the tender may be used for making military and naval observations and the results reported currently t the submarine vessel while it remains unexposed and submerged at a safe distance.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, and it will be understood that changes in the specific structure shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirlt of the invention.

Additional advantages may also appear from the drawings, in which,

.Figure 1, is a vertical sectional view of the tender released and afloat, Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of a submarine vessel and the well-dock for the tender.

Referring to the drawings,` there is shown a portion of a submarine of any suitable type, 10, located conveniently in which there is a well 11 of suitable size and shape communicating wit-h the exterior of the vessel, preferably opening upward as shown, and arranged to be closed by a water prooi closure 12, and provided with an access opening 13, communicating with the interior of the vessel for access of an operator to the well from the vessel. This opening is also arranged to be closed in a water-tight manner by the door 14.

Th'e well is adapted to receive through its exterior o ening a tender 15, a buoy-like de- Vice circu ar in horizontal section, and approximately egg-shaped in vertical section, though somewhat more elongated, its lower end portion being smaller than its upper.

Specieation of Letters Patent.

Application led December 6, 1910.

tender is Patented Mar. 5, 1912. Serial No. 595,925.

The tender may be constructed of sheet metal or any other suitable material adapted to resist the pressure of water at the dept-hs at which it is to be used. The upper end is closed by lneans of a lid 16 hinged at one side to the body of the tender, and forming an observation dome, windows 17 closed in a suitable manner by glass of proper weight being provided in any number desired. The lower rim of the lid is beveled at an angle of about 45 degrees to the major axis of the tender and provided with a gasket of rubber 18 or other suitable material arranged to seat snugly against a correspondingly beveled seat 19 formed around the upper edge of the body of the tender. At intervals around the lid-seat bifurcated lugs 20 are formed, and correspondingly spaced on the interior of the lid there are swiveled bolts 21 arranged to swing into the. lugs 20, to allow clamping of the lid securely in place by means of wing nuts 22 engaging against the lower sides of the lugs.

The tender is adapted to allow a man to standerect therein, a suitable Hoor 23 belng hinged therein, and to allow an operator to sit at times a seat is provided, in two sections 24:, hinged at opposite sides of the tender and arranged to abut at their outer ends when swung into horizontal position, but being narrow enough to allow space at one sidefor the legs of the occupant. For communlcation with the parent vessel the provided with telephonie apparatus 25, the connections for which will be subsequently described. For revivifying the air when it becomes foul through the breathing of an occupant, a tank of compressed oxygen may be detachably clamped to the wall allow escape of air as the oxygen is released, a suitable valve 27 is provided, that shown comprising simply a mushroom type seating exteriorly upon a properly ground seat 28, its stem 29 extending slidably through a cage 30 between which and the valve a spring 31 is under tension to hold the valve Seated to yield to #amper pressure either by the compression o air in the major part of the tender, or by the pressure of the occupants linger upon the projecting portion of the stem.

The tender is controlled from the` parent. vessel by means of a suitable cable 35 suitably attached to the lower extremity ot' the tender and carrying suitable wires for formof the tender as at 2G, and to' ing a circuit between instruments on the tender and others on the parentvessel. If found desirable a swivel connection for the cable may be provided, one method being illustrated. This includes the rotatable pin 36 engaged through a suitable stuiing box 37 in the tender bottom, and having the large eye 38 to which the cable 35 may be secured, and provided also withithe aXial passage 40 through which wires may pass to the interior of the tender. Two telephone wires 39 are carried in a suitable manner by the cable 35, though they may be supported otherwise if found desirable. 'They are passed throughthe passage 40, which is then closed-in a suitable manner. The pin 36 is provided at its upper end with a retaining collar 41 recessed on its upper s ide and filled with insulating material having in its upper surface two commutatorrings 42, and the floor 23 carries suitable commutator brushes 43 from which lead wires 44 to the telephone 25.

For the control of the tender, the cable 35 is carried upon a reel 45, the hollow supporting shaft 46 the walls of the well 11, and 1s provided with suitable operating mechanism, a simple-crank 47 being formally shown. The cable is suitably anchored to the reel, and the electrical wires carried thereby are carried into the shaft and connectedy to suitable commutator means 48- on the end of the shaft within the vessel, from which snitable brush connections are made with wires 50 leading to the .telephone 51 on the vessel. Suitable seat brackets 52 are provided within the well to support the tender above the cable reel.

Any suitable mechanism may be used for operating the closure 12, and-for removing and allowing ingress of water to the well. As shown, the closure 12 is provided with an upstanding arm 53, from which extends a segmental rack 54, projecting into a c'or-` respondingly arcuate pipe 55, opening from the surface of the vessel and communicating with the well 11, both the segment and the pipe being concentric with the airis of the hinge of the closure 12. The pipe 55 carries :i suitable housing 56 within which a y gear 57 is revolubly mounted, in mesh with the segment 54, and rotatable by means of the motorv 58.A A valve 59 is 'located inwardly of the housing 56 whereby the pipe 55 may be properly close In operation, the closure 12 being closed and the well empty of water, a person desiring to leave the vessel opens the door 14, lifts the lid 16 and enters the tender, closing both the door and lid. lVhen in readiness he telephones to pcrsons'on board the vessel to operate the door lifting mechanism and water ingress valve, and when the closure 12 is completely open and the well full of of which extends throughwater, the tender rises by its own buoyancy to the surface, unreelingthe cable 35 as it goes. The tender is designed to ot with the joint between the lid and the body portion well out of water, as indicated in Fig- 1. rll-he tender is adapted well for use as a lift-saving means, by arranging the arm upon a pivot on the closure 12 so that the closure will be free to open without movement of the arm, and providing an emergency valve 60 adjacent the opening to the tender allowing slow ingress of water to the well; The escaping persons can then loosen the fastenings of the closure 12, and open the valve 60, having plenty of time then to close the lid 16 and fasten it before the well is filled. The buoyancy of the tender when surrounded by water would 'then lift the closure 12, and allow its escape.

It should bel understood that in case of emergency, if the tender must rise farther than the length of the cable before reaching the surface, the cable should be disconnected from the bottom of the tender.

Should it be desired to effect the return of the tender to the vessel after release, the reel is operated to take up the cable, and it will be seen readily that from the shape of the tender it will readily guide itself into the well of the parent vessel. The closure operating mechanism is then operated to close the entrance to the well from the exterior, and the water therein pumped out through the pipe 62. Suitable means should be provided at 63 for admitting air to the well as the water is removed. As soon as the water in the well has been lowered below thie junction of the lid and the tenderV body, the person thereon may release himself by an operation the reverse of that described for leaving the parent vessel.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of thel class described.I a buoyant hollow body adapted for making visual observations, an anchorage member revoluble in the bottom of the body and having portions disposed exteriorly and interiorly of the body, a cable member connected thereto, insulated electrical conductors extended through and insulated from the anchorage member, respective insulated commutator rings carried by the inner portionof the anchorage member brush contact members engaged respectively with the rings, and electrical communication means within the body and in circuit with the contact members.

2. In a device of the class described, an observation vtender comprising a hollow body having sights and means for su plying oxygen, a hollow pin engaged revo ubly in the bottom of 4the body, an anchoring cable secured thereto, electrical conducting members extended inwardly through the pin und insulated therefrom concentric insulated commutator rings carried by the pin Within the body contact means engaged with the rings, and electrical devices Within the body and in circuit with the contact means.

3. In devices of the class described, a parent body, a buoyant observation body 'separate therefrom, a revoluble anchorage member extended through the bottom of the observation body, an anchoring cable secured thereto, and engaged with the parent body, electrical communication devices Within each body, electrical conductors in cir'euit with the devices on the parent body and eX- tended through the revoluble member on the observation body, commutator rings carried by and insulated from thesaid rvoluble member Contact means engaged therewith and connections between the contact means and the communication devices in the observation body.

In testimony whereof I aHX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

STANLEY PONTIERE. `Witnessesz JEROME S. RUSH, MARY T. RUSH. 

